Improvement in seed-wheels for seeding-machines



dinard tatw AWILLIAM WEUSTHOFF AND CHARLES SCHMIDT, OF DAYTON,` OHlO.

Letters Patent No. 92,681, dated ./uly 13, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEED-WHEELS FOR SEEDING-MACHINES.

The Schedule referred vto in these Letters Patent and making part cf the same.

To all whom. 'it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM WnUsTHoFF and CHARLES SCHMIDT, of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery, and in the State bf Ohio, have invented new -`the lines x a: and yy respectively of fig. 1.

. Letters of -like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

Our invention relates to a class of seeding-Inachines in which the seed-wheel is made expansible longitudinaily, for the Apurpose of increasing the' capacity of the groovesfor containing the lseed; and

It consists in the employment of a sheet-metal case, forming a part of the seed-wheel, into which the opposite part is caused to slide, as is hereinafter fully described, by which means the cost of said seed-wheel `is materially lessened, and its convenience and desirableuess increased.

In the annexed drawing- A represents the seed-wheel shaft, having secured thereon a cast-metal seed-wheel, B, the body of which is grooved or corrugated longitudinally, while npon ,one end is a plain cylindrical collar, b.

C represents a casing of sheet-metal, fitted closely to the grooved surface of the'wheel B, so as to permit the latter to slide freely in or out thereof'.

Theouter end of said casing is secured within one end of a cylindrical drum, D, a triiie larger in diameter than the collar b. f

n. Two ribs, c c,extend in parallel lines around the circumference of drum D, near its inner end, and forni a groove, the object of which will be fully explained hereinafter.

Pivoted-lloosely upon the shaft A, immediately' against the collar l), is a cylindricalpiece, E, corresponding in diameter to said collar, and of sutiicient length, in connection therewith, to equal the length of the drum D.

A sheet-metal cover or casing, F, fitted over the cylinder E and collarb, completes the seed-wheel.

The application and operation of this device are as follows: The shaft A is suitably journalled immediately beneath the seed-boxer hopper, in the bottom .of which suitable openings are 'provided for the escape of the seed. l

Beneath each opening is placed a seed-wheel, with one of the side walls of said opening fitted into the groove in the drum D, so that, while said drum is allowed to revolve freely, all lateral motion is prevented.

The opposite wallet` said opening fits over the casing F, which has not only a rotary, but also a lateral motion, if desired.

As thus arranged, it will be readily seen that if seed be supplied to the hopper, and the shaft and wheel be caused to revolve, the corrugations or grooves will be alternately filled with seed and discharged, and that the quantity of -seed contained in each will depend upon its length.

Such being the case, it is only necessary that suitable means be provided for moving saidshaft laterally, in order that the size of said openings, and, consequently, the quantity of grain passed through the sced-wheel, may be regulated, for, as the casing and drum C and D are held in position laterally, aud the seed-wheel is secured to the shaft, it will be evident, that as said shaft is moved lengthwise, said seedwheel will be either pushed into or drawn from said casing and drum, and the length of said corrugations correspondingly changed.

rlhe side wall which fits over the casing F, may be adj usted so closely as to prevent said casing from revolving, and only allowl lateral motion, in which event the shaft and collar will revolve independently, causing all wear to be between two surfaces of iron,.in stead of being betweenwood and iron.

r)The 'advantage of thisl form of construction consists principally in the great reduction of the post of the wheel, it being far more easy to fit closely to the t 'corrugations of the wheel the sheet-metal casing, than to fit a cast ring or drum, as is usually done. A

Another advantage arises from the increased length of hearing which may be had for the casing covering the corrugated portion of the wheel, as, in consequence of the thinness of the metal used' in its construction, so little space radially is occupied by it as to change but slightly the sizeof said wheel, so that the length o f said casing may be equal to that of the grooves, when adjusted 'so' as to contain the smallest quantity of seed.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of our invention, A

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The einlilloyineut of the sheet-metal casing C upon the corrugated surface of the seed-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

Also, the within-described seed-wheel, consisting of the groove-d wheel and ycollar B and b, casing and drum C and D, cylindrical piece E, or its equivalent, and the casing F, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown, and for the purpose de scribed.

In testimony that we claim the'foregoing, we have WVitnesses:

Taos. D. MITCHELL', J AooB WEBER. 

